Does zakah have to be paid for the money that is saved to buy a house, get married or establish a business?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Zakah is not necessary for the extra possessions of a person except the money, gold, silver and commercial goods he owns like his house, shop and car whether they are rented or not. However, if their income reaches the amount of nisab (the equivalent of 80.18 gr. of gold) along with the other money, gold, silver and commercial goods a person has, he has to pay zakah at the end of the year at the rate of one-fortieth for them.

A person who has 80 gr. of gold or the equivalent in cash or commercial goods except his debts and basic needs has to pay zakah when one year passes if he has the same amount or more. After that, he needs to calculate his goods and money by subtracting his debts and basic needs every year (after 354 days passes) and pay zakah if they reach the amount of nisab. Besides, it is not necessary to wait for one year for the increases in the money or goods. It is necessary to pay zakah for all of the goods at the end of the year.  

You can calculate the zakah of your goods that are subject to zakah based on those principles.

Zakah is "an act of financial purification and cleanliness" that Allah ordered to be allocated from the wealth He gave to the poor. It is given for the sake of Allah. Anybody who gives zakah gives it for himself. For, Allah is Wakil (Trustee), Kafil (Guarantor), Hasib (Accounter), Nazir (Supervisor), Alim (Knower), Khabir (Aware) and Shakur (Rewarder of Thankfulness). A person who gives for the sake of Allah will not be at a loss in terms of the world and the hereafter. That is, Allah will replace it with more than he gives.

For instance, He makes it easy to do good things especially like "buying a house" and keeps bad things away. Therefore, it is not legitimate and permissible to delay zakah that is due no matter what basic need we plan to buy.

As a matter of fact, it is an obligation for us to pay zakah for our wealth that is worth at least 80 gr. of gold except our basic needs and that we have had for one year. Our plans to buy a house, a car or some other basic need in the distant or near future does not free us from paying zakah.

If one year passes over the money that you save to buy a basic need like a car and a house and if it is more than nisab amount, you have to pay zakah for it.

However, if you have bought a house and you are in debt, your money that is less than your debt is exempt from zakah.

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